Joseph Gilkes says the Young Scholars Program gave him the motivational and financial boost he needed to become a college graduate. Gilkes, who now teaches seventh-grade English at Lorain Middle School, holds a master's degree in education from Ohio State. At left, he is pictured on the day he received his Ohio State bachelor's degree in 1999.   Photo courtesy of Pamela Moore

YSP inspired student to teach

Joseph Gilkes teaches seventh-grade English at Lorain Middle School

Before joining the Young Scholars Program (YSP) at Ohio State, Joseph Gilkes hadn't given college a thought. Now a holder of a master's degree in education, Gilkes will become the kind of teacher that he encountered as a youngster, thanks to YSP: one who plants the early seed of a college education's value.

Gilkes is a Young Scholar returning to his roots after earning a bachelor's degree from Ohio State's School of Journalism and Communication and completing the master's program. He is teaching seventh-grade English this academic year at Lorain Middle School, the home base for the Lorain Young Scholars Program that gave him his first glimpse of college life.

"There's no doubt I'll be seeing the current Young Scholars at school," he said. "I want to know who they are so I can keep an eye on them."

YSP was created in 1988 to increase the number of African-American, Latino/Hispanic-American, American Indian and Appalachian students in Ohio who are prepared to perform well at four-year institutions of higher learning. Through partnerships between Ohio State and the nine largest urban school districts and communities in Ohio, the program nurtures the potential of participating students, beginning in sixth grade, through academic, personal and career-development initiatives. Candidates are nominated each spring, interviewed, and selected based on a number of performance measures and family circumstances; all students are from low-income households and are among the first generation in their families to attend college.

Annually, 120 Young Scholars are inducted. Once in high school, they must maintain a 3.0 grade point average and enroll in college preparatory classes. Those who complete the requirements successfully are guaranteed admission to Ohio State and a financial aid package based on their need. To date, 157 Young Scholars have graduated from Ohio State, and nine are enrolled in advanced-degree programs at the University.

A strong performer in elementary school, Gilkes was invited to compete for a Young Scholars slot when he was in sixth grade in his hometown of Lorain. Once selected to participate in the program, he gradually came around to the concept of college life after attending the program's summer institutes on the Columbus campus and developing a relationship with the Lorain program's staff. The lessons of the program went beyond career exploration and college prep curriculum: Gilkes also learned to cope with parting from his family -- his parents and six siblings -- for extended periods of time and grew to be comfortable on the sprawling campus.

He briefly considered applying to Morehouse College, a historically black all-male liberal arts college in Atlanta, but ultimately decided that "Ohio State had the best thing going."

"Had I not had the experience of the Young Scholars Program, Ohio State may have been intimidating. But it was not such a big adjustment, and I also knew other Young Scholars were going to be there," he said. In addition, familiarity with Ohio State enabled him to function independently when navigating the many facets of student life.

As an undergraduate, Gilkes made further connections by working at the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, where staff members became an extended family for him. By his junior year, he realized through his extracurricular activities -- primarily Boy Scouts and a youth ministry -- that he was fulfilled by and talented at working with teens. Though he has always loved music and dabbled in video broadcasting, teaching surfaced as his true calling. To be certain, he spent a year as a substitute teacher before pursuing an advanced education degree.

According to YSP Regional Director Pamela Moore, who is based in Lorain, Gilkes "exemplifies what the Young Scholars Program is all about. He graduated summa cum laude with a 3.91 GPA. His outstanding performance at the collegiate level is an inspiration to all Young Scholars participating in the program and a testimony to the program's success. Throughout his collegiate career, he kept in touch and shared his insight and experience with the Scholars in the Lorain program. He's a wonderful person, and I know that he will be very successful."

Gilkes now is adjusting to the start of the school year as a teacher, and anticipates that there will be numerous pluses to his chosen career: He can continue to pursue the Christian music that means so much to him, and he knows he will function as a role model of sorts to the children he teaches, especially working in a field dominated by white women. Gilkes is likely to appeal to many students because he once walked in their shoes. A biracial young man (his father is African American and his mother is white) who grew up in a loving Lorain home, but with limited resources, he believes it will be good for students to see that those who grow up in their blue-collar city can do quite well.

"I'll encourage them to go to school or learn a vocation," Gilkes says. "I will encourage them to set goals in life. I can still pursue music, and a lot of kids are talented in the same way. But it's tough to make a living off of art and music. I want to encourage kids to do the things they love to do, but to make a living and support themselves, too.

"It's important to me to have these kids thinking about their future."

Gilkes credits the Young Scholars Program with giving him the motivational and financial boost he needed to become a first-generation college graduate in his family.

"The neat thing about YSP is that it grabs kids from the inner city who, without encouragement and mentors, would fall through the cracks," he says. "This program made me a better person.

"Once I made the decision to come back to Lorain, I felt at peace about it. I felt at home. This is where I should be."

Welcome Week will introduce new students to Ohio State traditions

Senior Patty Cunningham describes Ohio State's Welcome Week 2001 as "a showcase of what the University has to offer outside the classroom" for more than 5,800 incoming freshmen. Welcome Week runs from Sept. 16 to 23.

A member of more than 14 organizations and clubs, including the Undergraduate Student Government's Underrepresented Constituency Committee and her residence hall's planning council, Cunningham said she first became involved in some of Ohio State's more than 500 organizations during Welcome Week her freshman year.

"Welcome Week is a tradition at Ohio State, and in that tradition, students are exposed to many others," said Cunningham, a sociology and women's studies major. "There is nothing you can't do at Ohio State, and Welcome Week shows that."

To introduce new students to the vast cultural opportunities at Ohio State, Cunningham has planned "A Taste of OSU Traditions: Feelin' Cultural Flava' at OSU," which is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 in the Hale Black Cultural Center. During this event, students will be introduced to the University's programming from nine offices, including the Office for Disability Services and the Hillel Foundation.

"Ohio State is a champion for diversity," Cunningham said. "We need to make sure students realize that culture is celebrated at Ohio State."

Events include:

Sept. 16: Residence Hall Move-In, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., across campus. Traffic movement and access to parking will be modified all day, and motorists are strongly discouraged from driving through campus. Parking restrictions begin at 3 a.m. Sept. 16 in the North, South and Olentangy residence halls areas; violators will be subject to towing in several lots. Regular parking procedures resume at 6 a.m. Sept. 17. In addition, many campus streets will be closed and restricted to move-in traffic all day Sunday.

Sept. 17: The President's Convocation 2001 will start at about 10:30 a.m. in St. John Arena and end with the President's Picnic and Buckeye Bash from noon to 2 p.m. on the Oval. During the afternoon, about 15,000 students will attend the Student Involvement Fair to choose from more than 500 student organizations, clubs, community service agencies and campus offices.

Sept. 18: Community Commitment, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 1,200 Ohio State and Columbus community members participate in this nationally acclaimed service project. Buses will depart from the South Oval to more than 50 locations around Columbus.

Sept. 19: Classes begin. Dozens of class locator volunteers in bright orange T-shirts will help students get to class on time. President Brit Kirwan and many other Ohio State faculty and staff will bag books for the University's newest students from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at campus-area bookstores. And the Scarlet Fever pep rally at 7 p.m. in Ohio Stadium will feature Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, the OSU Marching Band, Brutus Buckeye, cheerleaders and sports teams.

Sept. 20: The Kids Voting/John Glenn Institute Youth Summit from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Drinko Hall Auditorium will be a "thank you" to all the high school-age volunteers who helped Kids Voting during the 2000 Presidential Election. Sen. John Glenn will give opening remarks.

For a complete listing of events, see the Welcome Week Web site at www.osu.edu/welcomeweek.

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